Envelope having an elastic tie



United States Patent s,2ss,as2 ENVELOPE HAVING AN ELASTEC TIE Harold K. Dwork, 152 Sussex Ave, Newark, NJ. Filed Mar. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 440,459 Claims. (Cl. 22977) The present invention relates to an envelope for use in holding papers filed in ofiice file cabinets and as a convenient carrying case in transporting papers.

Envelopes of this general type are commercially available at the present time. Generally, these envelopes are provided with a. tie string which is affixed to the flap of the envelope and is passed around the envelope in opposite directions. The two ends of the string are joined together in a bow at the point at which they meet.

Experience has shown that oftentimes one encounters difiiculty in manipulating these envelopes. In particular, when the envelope contains a great number of papers, thus making it rather bulky, tying and untying the ends of the string may become difficult.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved envelope of the character described.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an envelope of the character described which is not subject to the tying and untying diflicuties described above in connection with envelopes of this general type which are available at the present time.

There are provided in accordance with the present invention, an envelope having a hole through the flap of the envelope and an endless elastic band having a knob of greater dimension than the hole at a point along the length of the band. The endless elastic band is passed through the hole so that substantially all of the band may be located on one side of the flap and the knob located on the other side of the flap.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an envelope according to the present invention wherein the endless elastic band is secured to the envelope in a first manner;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the envelope of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end View of an envelope according to the present invention wherein the endless elastic band is secured tothe envelope in a second manner; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of a portion of the envelope shown in FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawing, the present invention provides for an envelope having a hole 11 through the flap 12 of the envelope. The envelope is of the expanding type and is provided with end portions 13 having accordian-type folds.

Also provided is an endless elastic band 20 having a knob 21 of greater dimension than the hole 11. The band 20 is passed through the hole 11 so that substantially all of the band may be located on one side of the flap 12 and the knob 21 located on the other side of the flap. As is best seen in FIG. 2, the knob 21 bears against the flap 12 and because of its size does not pass through the hole 11.

For the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the elastic band 20 is passed through the hole 11 from the underside of the flap 12 outward to the outside surface of the flap. When arranged this way, the knob 21 bears against the underside of the flap 12. In order to effect a secure closure of the envelope, the elastic band 20 is simply passed over one end of the envelope in a single strand so as to run completely around the envelope.

In the arrangement shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the elastic band 20 is passed through the hole 11 from the outside surface of the flap 12 to the underside of the flap. When arranged in this manner, the knob 21 bears against the outside surface of the flap 12. In order to effect a secure closure of the envelope, the elastic band 20 is passed downward and completely around the envelope in a double strand with the loop portion 22 passed over the knob 21 so as to engage the undersides of the knob.

A comparison of FIGS. 2 and 3 will best bring out one of the features of the present invention. When the envelope is used to contain a great number of papers, thus making it relatively 'wide, the elastic band 22 may advantageously be passed through the hole 11 in the flap 12 in the manner shown in FIG. 2. If, on the other hand, relatively few papers are to be contained in the envelope and approximately the same closure tension is desired, then the elastic band 20 may be passed through the hole 11 in the flap 12 in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Although the knob 21 has been illustrated as being substantially .arrow shaped, various other shapes may be employed to effect the same results.

While there have been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and it is, therefore, aimed to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination: an envelope having a first side and a second side joined to each other at their edges and having an open edge leading to the interior of said envelope; a flap fixed to the first side at said open edge, said flap overlapping said second side when covering said open edge and closing said envelope, said flap having a hole; and an endless elastic band having a knob integrally formed with said band, said knob being located at a point along the length of said band and .being of greater dimension than said hole, said elastic band being passed through said hole so that substantially all of said band is located on one side of said flap and said knob bears against the other side of said flap without passing through said hole because of its size.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the knob bears against the outside surface of the flap.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the knob bears against the underside surface of the flap.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the knob is arrow shaped and the undersides of the arrow bear against the flap.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the envelope is expansi ble.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 389,318 9/1888 Oliver 229-77 424,411 3 1890 Fielder 229-63 2,810,511 10/1957 Cantor 229-77 FOREIGN PATENTS 394,334 6/1933 Great Britain.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION: AN ENVELOPE HAVING A FIRST SIDE AND A SECOND SIDE JOINED TO EACH OTHER AT THEIR EDGES AND HAVING AN OPEN EDGE LEADING TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID ENVELOPE; A FLAP FIXED TO THE FIRST SIDE AT SAID OPEN EDGE, SAID FLAP OVERLAPPING SAID SECOND SIDE WHEN COVERING SAID OPEN EDGE AND CLOSING SAID ENVELOPE, SAID FLAP HAVING A HOLE; AND AN ENDLESS ELASTIC BAND HAVING A KNOB BEING LOCATED TEGRALLY FORMED WITH SAID BAND, SAID KNOB BEING LOCATED AT A POINT ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID BAND AND BEING OF GREATER DIMENSION THAN SAID HOLE, SAID ELASTIC BAND BEING PASSED THROUGH SAID HOLE SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID BAND IS LOCATED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID FLAP AND SAID KNOB BEARS AGAINST THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID FLAP WITHOUT PASSING THROUGH SAID HOLE BECAUSE OF ITS SIZE. 